Rotting Peaches
by Gatewriter
Summary: Daniel tried to think back. The last thing he could remember was saving Jonas's world from destruction. He had hurt his hand. But he wasn't worried. His team would find him.


**Rotting Peaches**

**Summary:****Daniel tried to think back. He remembered saving Jonas's world from destruction. He had hurt his hand. He didn't really remember anything after that, but he wasn't worried. His team would find him.**

**Warnings:**** Not much. A dark fic and a bit depressing, but that's about it.**

**Time/Setting: ****Sometime after Daniel saves Jonas's planet from radiation. **

**Spoilers:**** The Daniel saves Jonas's planet episode! If you haven't watched it, do not read this story! You have been warned!**

**Disclaimer:**** Stargate and its characters do not belong to me. Although they're on my Christmas list.**

**Notes****: This is a very short story, and not usually what I do, but I've always wanted to delve more into this episode. I can't really say a whole lot about it now, but there will be continued author's notes at the bottom. **

Daniel was sitting in a dark cell, covered in a sort of blue mud that smelled of rotting peaches. He didn't know why he thought it smelled like that, because he wasn't even sure he had ever had a sniff of rotting peaches, but he didn't think into it too hard. Especially because he had other things on his mind.

Like how he had gotten to this dreadful prison of a place. Daniel had been to a lot of prisons in his time, but this particular one had a certain eerie, hopeless feeling to it. Like the prison itself had lost hope on ever seeing the light of day again. Like it had somehow been lost in time and no one had even tried to come looking for it. Daniel didn't know if there were other prisoners. He didn't even know if there were other cells. It was dark in his room, there were no windows, and the walls and door (which was locked; he had tried to open it earlier) were made of solid, slick stone.

Time had become lost to him. He was sure he had been wearing a watch earlier, but it wasn't on his wrist, and strangely, he mourned its loss. Even though he didn't really even remember losing it. Daniel was sure he had been in the cell for more than a couple weeks, but then he would have needed food and water, and he had gotten none. At least, he didn't remember getting any. Maybe he did. He wasn't hungry.

Daniel tried to think back. He remembered saving Jonas's world from destruction. He had hurt his hand. He didn't really remember anything after that, but he wasn't worried. His team would find him.

Maybe someone was already coming for him. Jack would come for him. He always did. Sam would break the laws of physics (again) just to see him home. And Teal'c? Teal'c would yell and fuss and finally quit the SGC before he ever stopped looking. He had done it before. They would find him. They would.

But maybe they didn't even know he was gone. Maybe Daniel had dropped into a hapless abyss while everyone else had their backs turned. Maybe they thought he was stuck in his lab, when really he was stuck in a hopeless cell that was dark and dank and smelled of rotting peaches.

OoOoOoOo

When Daniel awoke, it was from a fitful sleep, mostly filled with dark dreams of sadness and mourning. He wasn't sure who was mourning, or why, but in his sleep, he could almost feel someone's salty tears on chest and arms.

Oddly, the blue gunk that stuck to his skin and clothes seem to have disappeared. He wasn't clean, and he still smelled of rotting peaches, but the mud was no longer. Maybe he had imagined it.

Also, he noticed a distinct gleam to the walls around him. As if they were a slightly less dingy shade of rock. He wondered if he was being paranoid. Surely, he was. Why would prison walls look suddenly shinier? Cleaner? Especially prison walls such as these?

Daniel sat, then, for an immeasurable amount of time, because there was not much more he could do. There wasn't even a cot to lie on. Just sharp crude rocks. Which had again seemed to lighten a degree.

For reasons which Daniel didn't know, or lacked the curiosity to ponder, he wasn't bored. Surely after all this time, one would begin to become antsy, but this Daniel was not. He could possibly sit here for an eternity. And maybe he would.

Then, something began to happen. And that was Daniel's first thought; that something was happening. He registered the extreme light only belatedly. The light dimmed after a few moments, taking on a bluish hue, and then a woman stood in front of him.

She wore an ethereal gown that flowed easily and pooled around her feet. It matched the blue color of the light that hovered around her frame. She was a dark brunette with a strong and wise face with grey almond eyes. After a moment, she walked forward to Daniel and bowed her head slightly. "You have passed the first test, Daniel. You are well on the path."

"Where-where am I?" Daniel asked timidly. Oddly, his voice was not scratchy from disuse.

The woman looked slightly puzzled, as if she expected the question, but was unsure how to answer it. "You are on the path."

Daniel raised his eyebrows. "The path looks a lot like a prison to me."

"In time, this will not be so."

Daniel was starting to feel frustrated at the lack of straight answers. "How long have I been here?"

Again, the woman looked puzzled. "Here, time has no meaning."

The doctor huffed. "Okay, look. I've been sitting here for who knows how long, I haven't been brought food, and I don't know where my team is. Do you think you could at least tell me where my team is?"

"They are where they are supposed to be. They do not concern you."

Daniel stood up. "Of course they 'concern me'. They're _my team_. Just tell me where they are."

"You are most curious. Maybe you should ponder more on your path than on your past."

"What are you talking about?" Suddenly, Daniel stopped. Slowly, he raised his hands to his face, feeling for glasses that weren't there. He hadn't even noticed they were gone. Because he could see perfectly. "What…what is this place?"

"This," the woman gestured grandly, "is the first test on your path. You will encounter more before you are welcomed."

"Welcomed to where?"

"Your destination. Where ever that may be."

Slowly, things came back to him. He had saved Jonas's world from radiation. He had hurt his hand, and it had gotten worse, much worse. Sam had tried to heal him with the hand device, but it hadn't worked. Daniel had told Jack to…let him go. Daniel was…was… "I'm dead," he whispered, eyed widening in horror.

"No." The lady shook her head and smiled. "No. You are not dead. You are on the path. You are on the path to enlightenment. And I am called Oma De Sala."

Then, Daniel felt the world tilt violently around him. Beneath him, the earth cracked open and Daniel tumbled into the dark, awaiting abyss.

OoOoOoOo

Daniel didn't really know where he was. It was night, but he could see several fires in the distance and smoke plumed into the sky, masking the stars with an unnatural grey cloud. He heard people screaming, and he knew that he should help them, because that was what he did. But usually his team was with him. Where was his team? He tried to think back to the last thing he could remember.

He remembered saving Jonas's world from destruction. He had hurt his hand. He didn't really remember anything after that, but he wasn't worried. His team would find him.

OoOoOoO

So what did ya think? I haven't really read any stories about Daniel's 'path to ascension', so I decided to write one of my own. If feedback is good, I have an idea for continuing this story line, but I will mark it as complete because it could very easily stand on its own.

*PLEASE REVIEW!


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